13/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 11 November, the European Commission launched a new website, the “Tracking System for Alternative test methods Review Validation and Approval” (TSAR), designed to track the development of new alternative test methods which should replace, reduce and refine current animal testing. The purpose of the system is to allow progress of the review, validation and approval of alternative test methods to be tracked. Simply by consulting the website, it will be possible to check whether an alternative test exists, for example, to test for “skin irritation and corrosion” and to know if that method has already been approved under the EU legislation or for other regulatory use. The website (http: //ihcp.jrc.ec.europa.eu/tsar) is managed by the Joint Research Centre's Institute for Health and Consumer Protection. (B.C./transl.rt)